STAR WARS Episodes 7, 8 and 9 are coming!

Big news on the DISNEY front. Star Wars' owner and creator George Lucas, of Lucasfilms has just signed a deal with Disney for them to take over the franchise and lead it into the future. Here's an interview with George Lucas: interview

Says Disney:
"The last Star Wars movie release was 2005's Revenge of the Sith – and we believe there's substantial pent up demand. In 2015, we're planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the "Disney-Lucasfilm" brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years. We're very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films and that Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chair of Lucasfilm, will executive produce."

Disney also own Pixar and Marvel, so the the future of some of our most loved characters and stories lies in their hands. Not so great for competition. BUT, in other terrific news, there'll be sequels of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America -
"We're looking forward to a robust slate of new Marvel movies – starting with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World next year, followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. And, as we announced previously, Joss Whedon is writing and directing Avengers 2 and developing a Marvel-based series for ABC."

 The prospect of the amazing, talented Joss Whedon (of Buffy, Firefly, Serenity and Dollhouse fame) directing Avengers 2 makes it utterly irresistible!
cheers, Dawn

The World's Best Robots! Gremlins, transformer laptops and running cheetahs

It's  been a few weeks since I posted anything on my favourite subject - ROBOTS! Here's a selection of videos. Enjoy!

world's top 3 robots

 A laptop which transforms into a fighter plane!











laptop transformer

the Army's cheetah robot

leonardo gremlin robot

cheers, Dawn

Stories by Peakhurst Public school from BOOKFEAST 2012

photo (c) Dawn Meredith

Hi guys! They are finally here - your fabulous stories! click on this link: Woody's Friends - stories written by kids If you'd like to send me some more to display here, email them to dawnmeredith1@gmail.com
cheers, Dawn

Why the Heck to Writers Persist?

photo (c) Dawn Meredith

If you're married to a writer, living with a writer or related to one you may well have asked this question at regular intervals, especially when the writer in question is in a hole, that black night of indeterminate length we call a crisis of confidence. I believe true writers write because they can't not do it. It's a compulsion. A weird one, I know, seeing as it can lead to misery and angst, but I tell you non-writers this, when your work is accepted, it sounds pathetic to say it, but you feel like you are accepted, that what you burned to say to the world is not only being heard, but being valued by someone. Let's take a peek inside the writer's head for a moment.
Writers are observers. We process every tiny little thing that goes on around us. We're worried we'll miss something important. (That's why there's so little room for other more mundane things. Or am I the only person who forgets to buy milk?) We constantly compare what we see and feel with other things we have experienced and new ideas pop up, wonderful new ideas which we yearn to develop. It's a bit like waiting for a flower to open. You know there is beauty and wonder inside and you can't wait to see it. In a sense we're gardeners too. We watch the ideas flower inside our head and our notebooks and on our computers and we seek to nurture them, water them until they emerge as fully formed things. There is pride in that process. There is also fear and wonder and delight. All the while we are battling against the inner critic, the overzealous editor in our head who likes to tell us what we have to say is rubbish and that no one will listen, that we have SUCH a  long way to go yet. This is why we falter. We know that publishers will send rejection letters and we know that we have to have a thick skin, but it still hurts. We can comfort ourselves with the thought that its all part of the apprenticeship, the journey to greatness, and that constructive feedback helps us grow, forces us to change and adapt. But it still hurts.
The industry is finicky, subjective and prone to the whimsy of Lady Luck, but just because someone criticises our well-crafted masterpiece doesn't mean it's worthless. It just means it hasn't found a home. And let us not forget the elation and joy that comes from the process of writing, of dipping into that delicious river of inspiration.
I leave you with these thoughts, emerging from the maelstrom that is my consciousness in the wee hours one morning:

Writing is an addiction 

to pain and glorious triumph, 

shattering defeat,

self-loathing and bliss.

It revels in my suffering.

It pierces me with joy.

cheers, Dawn

Book Review - 'The Ghost at the Point' by Charlotte Calder

'The Ghost at the Point' is a  beautifully written mystery with a nostalgic flavour, being set 1931. Dorrie lives on an island with her grandfather whom she calls 'Gah'. Along with her cat, Poppy and horse Samson, Dorrie loves living on the wild, wind swept island, away from the town and prying eyes. Since her parents died, Dorrie has lived with her grandfather, despite Aunt Gertrude's attempts to 'civilise' them both. But one day a strange couple, the Crickles, visit the local shops, asking questions about 'Dear Gertrude's' house and it turns out they are looking for the treasure they are certain is buried near the family home. No one likes the look of this couple. Around this time Dorrie becomes aware of a figure, hanging around in the shadows. Is it the ghost Aunt Getrude used to talk about? Is it a malicious presence that means them harm? Other strange things start to happen. Scary things. And Dorrie is forced to make a decision. Is she going to tell Gah about it or bravely face the ghost herself?

Charlotte Calder writes with clarity, creating pictures which draw us into her lovingly crafted world. The dialogue of the characters rings true for that period which she expresses so fondly we yearn to go back there. And there were some truly funny moments I think will make children laugh out loud. Her sensitivity to the perils and joys of island life is evident in this exciting mystery.


"The whine of the old outboard rang out across the calm water. As he approached the beach, Gah cut the motor and tilted it forwards, while Dorrie rolled the iron boat rollers down to the water's edge. Gah passed her the fish basket, cold and heavy with its catch and then hopped out. There was rippling of water and a blowing of air. Dorrie glanced up at the dolphins gliding past on their evening fishing round. Five or six of them, only a few yards away."

You can find out more about Charlotte here: www.walkerbooks.com.au
cheers, Dawn

The weird and wacky mind of a writer

You know, my friends often shake their heads and smile with the faintest hint of fear (for my sanity perhaps?) when I describe some of the stories rattling around in my skull! But as other writers know, ideas pop in all the time and we don't, and perhaps shouldn't, worry too much about their validity. Who knows what the unconscious is trying to say to us, the connections it makes as we experience our day? And its all fodder for stories, grist for the mill. I love it!
cheers, Dawn

BOOKFEAST 2012 Australian authors and illustrators have lunch with 400 school children

Once again I am honoured to be invited and blown away by the sheer size of Bookfeast. Well done, Michael Fraser! Had a blast with  my 'host' school and they produced some awesome stories for my little writing competition, to win a book pack. Honoured guests included Andy Griffiths, Deb Abela, Brian Heffernan, John Flanagan and Richard Newsome with Master of ceremonies, Duncan Ball. A fun day was had by all!

cheers, Dawn
PS Yes, kids, your stories will be put up here soon! I promise!

Submitting your manuscript - an opportunity to polish your skills

I just submitted a 100,000 word YA novel manuscript and even though I usually get worried about these things and feel a little intimidated by the process, it was actually quite good! I took the time to re-write a synopsis. Several versions. I wanted to get it right, make a good first impression. I wrote a killer query letter. I pulled the FIRST 1000 words, not a chapter I thought was best, after all, the first chapter has to be of the highest, most polished quality you can make it. 

I have learned a couple of things in my years as a writer which I thought might be helpful to someone else out there who is submitting their work. So here they are:

1. In your query letter, be yourself. By that I mean be quirky, interesting, humorous, honest. You want the editor to connect with you, just as you want the readers to connect with your characters. I wrote this in my query letter: "I'll admit, parts of this book are brutal. I surprised even myself. But to tell it properly I had to be prepared to look at uncomfortable truths and describe physically and mentally painful experiences as honestly as I could. Of course, there are animal companions, rational and irrational adults, moments of sheer exhilaration & fun and moments that I hope will make you cry."
2. Tell them a little about yourself in the query letter, what you do and preferably how it relates to the project you're submitting, but don't go on and on about you. It's the project they are primarily interested in.
3. Never show your doubts to the publisher, ie: "I'm not sure if you'll like this" or worse "I'm worried it's not quite what you're looking for". You want them to say YES! Assume they will, until you're told otherwise.
4. Make your synopsis like a movie trailer, an irresistible snapshot, that has the reader wanting to know more. Give enough information about the characters, themes and plot as possible while making it seem effortlessly succinct. (not easy!) Make the first sentence a hook, the absolute best introduction to your story and characters.
5. Do several drafts of the synopsis before you submit. Take the time. Slash and rehash.
6. I shouldn't have to say this, but I will just in case. Never submit work that isn't finished or is a rough draft, unless the publisher has specifically asked for exactly that, from you, personally. If it takes two years to finish your book to a high standard, then wait. It's got to seem a viable project to the publisher. Make it your absolute best work! Having said that, I did once send a completed first draft (which took a year to write) to a small, independent publisher because I wanted to know if they thought the project had merit. I was sick of it and needed a boost, basically! I was sooooooo lucky that they took the time to read it and gave me a two page feedback. This virtually never happens. I took a risk because small publishers are actually growing at the moment, in this uncertain economic climate. They are always looking for that next big thing and have a more open mind.
7. Be your own publicist. Have a web presence. Then it's easy enough to add a link to your site in the query letter so the publisher can have a look at what you do, what you're interested in, who you are, how serious you are about the writing business. Remember, they are looking to see if YOU are a good investment for their money.

cheers, Dawn